Using social badges that measure face to face interaction on the microscopic level allow us to predict patterns of collaboration and gain insights into how we work together on levels not possible before. At the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence we have recently experimented with what we call microscopic dynamic social network analysis.

GPS satellite based navigation systems tell us where we are and how to get where we want to go. In our research we used a similar people-based social navigation system develop at the MIT Medial Lab by Sandy Pentland’s team to better understand our position in social networks. Using social badges - body-worn sensors - we measured physical interaction of co-located people to better understand who they are, and therefore allow them  to better navigate in their own social network.

In a research project with 22 study subjects, who wore the badges during work for one month, we were able to predict social characteristics such as extroversion, neuroticism, openness, and agreeability based on microscopic social network analysis. We obtained control measures of these values with a standard psychological test NEO-FFI). High contribution index was positively correlated with extroversion, and negatively correlated with neuroticism. This means that the more people looked their communication partners into the face, the more of an extrovert they were. The less they looked them into the eyes, the higher was their score on the neuroticism test.   Fluctuation in betweenness centrality was positively correlated with openness, and negatively correlated with agreeability. In less scientific language: the more they changed between being in the center of the conversation, and by withdrawing into their offices, the more open to new things they were. The steadier their communication pattern, either as a socialite or a recluse, the higher their agreability score.  We were also able to obtain correlation between social network position and job satisfaction, and extroversion.

Of course this technology has to be used very carefully, to avoid the risk of intruding into the privacy of the individual. In our project we have alleviated this risk by only sharing individual results with each affected individual, and giving a condensed view without individual identification to management. So far study participants have reacted very positively to the insights they gained about their own communication behavior.

Microscopic social network analysis can be used to complement proven psychological tests such as the FFI. It could be used, e.g. as a further input to identify people suitable for certain professions, for example identifying the most agreeable candidates among potential recruits as police officers.  By simply wearing social badges, a user will finally be able to answer question like “Do I have more of an introvert or an extrovert communication style? What personality types do I have to bring into a meeting to make it more productive? How can I change my personal communication behavior to be more efficient? What leadership styles are most effective for a certain situation?” We hope that future research will help organizations become more innovative and productive by exploring their hidden social structures in a virtual mirror – helping members of an organization to better understand their hidden social characteristics to improve the overall organization.

Thanks, Steve, for your gracious introduction earlier. I am extremely eager to start working with the IAOC, to help grow and develop this dynamic organization.

As Steve mentioned, I will begin to create membership profiles on the blog this week. I hope to have all current members profiled by mid October. If you are a member and do not wish to be profiled, please send me an email to let me know.

I am also spearheading a membership drive, so if you have been involved with the IAOC but have not yet become a member, don't be surprised to hear from me soon.

Thanks and I look forward to a busy and exciting next few months.

David Reich

I'd like to take a moment and introduce members to David Reich, a recent Tulane University grad who will be helping us with an IAOC membership drive this fall.

David graduated in May from the AB Freeman School of Business at Tulane University with a bachelor of science degree in management. He has worked in marketing and public relations with Ike Behar -- an upscale men's clothing brand in Miami -- and Michael Werdiger, Inc., a diamond jewelry distributor in New York.

I've asked David to begin a series profiling all the IAOC's members on the blog. So don't be surprised if you are profiled in the coming weeks. Those who wish to be profiled need only join the IAOC and those members who do not wish to be profiled should send email to David Reich.

David, welcome aboard and thanks for helping the IAOC grow its membership leading to our spring conference in Zurich.

STEVE O'KEEFE
IAOC Vice President

Welcome back teachers, professors, students, and professionals to another season of "This Week on IAOCblog.com." I'm Steve O'Keefe, co-producer of this program with the irascible Morty Schiller, who has been shooting down spam comments and trackbacks all summer.

For those who are new, "This Week at IAOCblog" is a weekly blog show where we try to bring in experts each week to lead discussions on topics related to online communications.

Here are some of the people who have asked about being on the show this season, or we solicited them and they've agreed to teach:

Nettie Hartsock - Blog Consultant and Book Publicist, who promised Lois Kelly, the Word-of-Mouth marketing expert with her for a show on how "point-of-view matters more than messaging in conversational marketing." Yum.

Shel Horowitz, ethical marketing expert and copywriter extraordinaire, we hope will lead us in a discussion of efforts to generate and enforce a "Blogger's Code of Ethics."

Dave Taylor -- yes, THE Dave Taylor, tech guru, innovator, iconoclast -- as in Ask Dave Taylor your questions right here, on IAOCblog, about (shhhh!) generating revenue from your blog.

Ron Sansone on the Independence Day Digg Mugging the IAOCblog received and what it shows about the future of tagging, digging, and Ron Paul's chances of riding social networking into the Oval Office.

And Much More! We'll continue bugging Bob Bly to visit us; we might get an update from Dianna Huff, and I'm hoping MIT's Peter Gloor will join us to talk about a new study analyzing workplace communications for signs of "Swarm Creativity."

All in all, a busy season ahead. Interested in leading the blog for a week? Send me your show idea and let's talk. We're going to take the rest of this week on IAOCblog to talk about what's coming this Fall -- and about our European Conference in Zurich next Spring.

STEVE O'KEEFE
Vice President, IAOC
Co-Host, "This Week on IAOCblog.com"